Cloth matching and measuring machine



Nov. 8, 1932. M. E; POPKIN CLOTH MATCHING AND MEASURING MACHINE Fi led Dec. 8. 1927' I 5 Sheets-Sheet l amen-01;

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NOV. 8, 1932. E, POPKIN 1,886,902

CLOTH MATCHING AND MEASURING MACHINE Filed Dec. 8. 1927 3' Sheets-Sheet 2 l n H nu n :1 I1 11 II n H In 1' l Nov. 8, 1932. M. E. POPKIN 1,886,902

CLOTH MATCHING AND MEASURING MACHINE I Filed Dec. a. 1927 5 Sheetg-Sheet 6 Patented Nov. 8, 1932 M'ARTINE. POPKIN, OF BALTIMORE, MARYLAND CLOTH MATCHING AND MEASURING MACHINE Application. filed December 8, 1927. Serial No. 238,711.

In the manufacture of ready-made clothing, a considcrableloss resultsfrom inaccurate and erroneous measurement of the material due to application of tension to the cloth in the measuring operation and consequent stretching. On this account it is necessary to make various allowances for inaccuracies and errors in measurement, not infrequently resultingin alarge percentage of waste in instances where a length of material insufiicient for the manufacture of a single garment or suit is left over, which material cannot, therefore, be utilized to advantage. The known percentage of inaccuracy requiring a certain allowance of extra material or factor of safety also results in a definite andsubstantially constant percentage of waste.

The invention relates to amachine formeasuring cloth whereby the tension formerly applied to the'cloth in measuring, particularly by machine, and hence the stretch and the resulting inaccuracy, are eliminated. With the high degree of accuracy thus attained with proper calculation as to the actual area of cloth required for a certain number of suits of certain'sizes, the necessary allowance for inaccuracy in measurement is reduced to the minimum and left-overs or remnants insufii cient for the manufacture of a single suit result only in isolated instances.

In the production of tailored garments, particularly in quantity production known as ready-made clothing, the material is ordinarily cut in multiple thickness by means of a power actuated machine. In this operation matching of stripes and other patterns is difficult and is frequently disregarded. This difficulty is partially due to the use of double width material, as the fold is ordinarily in the lateral center of the material extend ing longitudinally thereof and the patterns on the two layers do not register. Further, as all of this material is sponged befor cutting the stripe or other figure particularly of double width material, in the. absence of special precaution, gets out of line and out of registration as LO the two layers of material due to uneven pulling, stretching and winding of the cloth and to the yielding of the secured at intervals with the pattern in registration so that the fabric may be rolled and stored in this way after sponging, being ready for instant use in the manufacture of garments, it being understood that the invention "Q throughout relates particularly to the matching and measurement of fabric in the manufacture of tailored garments.

In the accompanying drawings I-have illustrated a cloth measuring and matching machine embodying the features of my invention in the preferred form.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is aside elevation of'the machine.

Figure 2 is a section on the line 2-2 of Figure 1. V

Figure 3 is aiplan.

'Figure 4 is a section on the line 4-4Qof Figure l.

Figure 5 is an end view of the machine 7;; looking from the left in Figure l. v

Referring tothe drawings by numerals, each of which is used to indicate the same or similar parts in the different figures, the machine, as shown, comprises a table, bench so or frame 1 provided at each end with a pair of uprights 2, 3, each of which isslotted vertically at 4 to admit a corresponding roll shaft 5. The cross section of each upright is in the form of a hollow rectangle to receive ball bearings 13 for the respective ends of the pole or shaft 5 of the cloth rolls 6 and 7 respectively. The cloth rolls are supported from beneath and each roll shaft 5 is mounted at each end in a ball bearing 13, see Figure 2, which slides vertically, as shown, in channeled uprights 2, 3, and the shafts 5 are, therefore, free to rotate and move up and down as the size of the roll is increased or decreased.

In the form of the invention shown, the rolls 6 and 7 respectively are supported on the outer end portions of cloth feed belts 8 and 9, to be described. These belts are supported between the rolls 6, 7, on the top 10 of the table or bench 1. The portion of the belt 8 beneath and engaged by the cloth roll 6 is directly supported on rollers or pulleys 11 and 12 which extend the full width of the belt, the pulley 11 being the end pulley about which the belt is turned. The belt 8 is passed at the other end of its traverse over still another drive pulley 14 near the center of the table, all three of the pulleys 11, 12 and 14 having their upper elements substantially in line with the upper surface of the table top 10, which is preferably nearly tangent to the pulleys or rollers, 11, 12, etc. The belt 8 is tightened by suitable tension pulleys 15 and 16 controlled in any suitable manner by belt tightening lever 17 and turnbuckle 18, this mechanism being of the regular commercial type and not material to the invention.

The second feed belt 9 is supported at the end of its traverse near the center of the.

table by means of a pulley 19 having its top surface near the top of the table and spaced away from the pulley 14 supporting the adjacent end of the belt 8 to provide for the sewing machine 20 and sewing apron 21.

The second feed belt 9 is supported at the other end of its traverse and driven by a pulley 22 at the extreme left of the machine in Figure 1. This pulley also assists in the support of the cloth roll 7' at this end, the

cloth roll and belt 9 being further supported and driven by a pulley 24 spaced slightly to the right in Figure 1 from the pulley 22 and located beneath the cloth roll 7 at the right of the center.

The belt 9 is also shown as provided with belt tightening mechanism 25 similar to that described in connection with the first feed belt 8 and indicated by reference characters 16, 17 and 18, etc. The feed belts 8 and 9 are, in accordance with the operation of the machine shown, fed simultaneously in the same direction, the machine being capable of feeding both belts in either'direction, by means of a motor shown as mounted beneath the table. This motor is provided with a toothed sprocket or pulley 31 mounted on the motor shaft which drives a chain 32 which, in turn, engages and drives a sprocket 33 which carries on its shaft or secured thereto, a bevel gear 34 engaging opposed bevel pinions 35 and 36 which are driven thereby in opposite rotation. The pinion 35 carries a sprocket 37 which drives a chain 38 which, in turn, engages and drives a sprocket 39 rotating freely on a longitudinal shaft 40 mounted in suitable bearings in the frame of the machine and extending the entire length of the machine. This sprocket 39 carries on one face. this being the face turned to the left in Figure 1 as shown, any suitable jaw clutch teeth 41.

The other bevel gear 36 in turn carries secured thereto a sprocket 42 which drives a chain 43 engaging a sprocket 44 which is preferably of the same size as the sprocket 39, the sprocket 44 being also mounted to rotate freely on the shaft 40 and being spaced away from the sprocket 39 to the left, in the form of the invention shown, by a few inches providing for the clutch throw. This sprocket 44 is provided with teeth 45 on its right hand face. Between the sprockets 44 and 39 is a clutch member 46 keyed to the shaft to slide thereon and to rotate the shaft. The clutch member 46 is carried by a aw 47 and is provided on its opposite faces with. clutch teeth 49 adapted to engage and cooperate with the clutch teeth 41 and 45 in its respective operative positions. The clutch member 46 also has a neutral position in which it is out of engagement with both sets of teeth 49 on the respective continuously rotating sprockets 39 and 44. The sprocket 39 is held against slipping by means of a collar 39 secured in anysuit-able manner. The use of various types of collars to prevent slipping in this way being well known so that it requires no discussion.

The jaw 47 is shown as carried by a rocking lever or arm 50 pivoted at 51 on a bracket 52 on the machine frame, the end of the lever on the opposite side of the center 51 of the j aw 47 being connected at 53 to a controller rod 54.

In accordance with the preferred form of the invention illustrated, the feed belts 8 and 9 are driven at their ends near the center of the table by pulleys 14 and 19. They are also preferably driven at their ends remote from the center of the table, i. e., at the right and left beneath the cloth rolls 6 and 7., To prevent slipping of the belts they are preferably provided with two drive pulleys at each end of the table, which pulleys support the feed belt beneath the cloth rolls 6 and 7. The pulleys at the right end of the table are indicated, in accordance with the form of the invention shown, by reference characters 11 '1:

and 12 and those at the left end of the table are indicated by reference characters 22 and 24.

The pulleys 11 and 12 at the right, in the form of the invention shown, are provided with sprockets 55 and 56, respectively, secured to the pulleys and engaged and driven by a chain 57 which is, in turn, driven by a sprocket 58 mounted on or secured to worm wheel or gear 59 engaged and driven by a worm 60 on the shaft 40.

The pulley 14 which drives the end of the belt 8 opposite the pulley 11, carries secured thereto a sprocket 62 which is engaged and driven by a chain 63 which is, in turn, en-

gaged and driven by a sprocket 64 mounted on or secured to the shaft of a worm wheel 65 which is, in turn, engaged and driven by a worm 66 on the shaft 40.

The second feed belt 9 is driven in a man- 3:

ner precisely similar to the manner of driv ing the belt 8. In the form of the invention shown, the drive pulley 19 at the end of the traverse of the feed belt 9 near the center a sprocket 70 rigidly connected to of the machine is provided with a sprocket 68 secured thereto or to the shaft of the pulley 19. This sprocket is engaged and driven by a chain 69 which is, in turn, driven by a worm wheel 71 which is engaged and driven by a worm 7 2 mounted on and secured to the shaft 40. The pulleys 22 and 24 at the left end of the machine which are located beneath the cloth roll 7 at this end are each provided at one end with a toothed sprocket 7 3 and 74 respectively, the sprockets being secured to the respective pulleys to rotate therewith and drive the pulleys; The sprockets 73 and 74: are engaged bya chain 75 which is, in turn, engaged and driven by a sprocket 76secured to a worm wheel 7 7 to rotate therewith, the worm wheel 77 being, in turn, engaged and driven by a worm 7 8 on the shaft 10. V

The cloth measuring machine, in the preferred form illustrated, may be provided at either or both ends adjacentthe cloth roll with markers 80 and 81, the cloth markers being merely indicated in Figure l on account of the small scale of the drawing, which is necessary to illustrate a machine of these dimensions. The marker is shown in detail in Figure a which, as already described, is a section on the line l-4: of Figure 1 looking to the right in said figure. The marker at the right end of the machine is also shown or indicated on small scale in the plan, Figure 3.

The marker 80, as shown in detail in F igure 1, consists of a clamp 82 controlled by a thumb screw 83 and adapted to hold a small block of chalk or other marking means 84:. This clamp 82 is provided with an arm 85 projecting to the right in Figure 4 and providedat its extreme right end with a pivotal connection 86 by which it is connected to swing vertically relatively to a slidingrod 87 which slides horizontallytransversely of the table above the same in the guide bearing 88 mounted on a suitable bracket 89 at the side of the table. This rod 87 is pivotally connected at its end'by means of a pin or screw 90 to the end of the swinging arm 91 of a bell crank lever 92 pivoted at 93, see

Fi 'ure 8 on the table and havin an arm 2: 7 b

9%, extending forwardly, see Figure 3, i. e., to the right in Figure 4, at right angles to the length of the machine. This arm 94 is connected at its swinging end 95 to a control wire or rod, cord 96 extending longitudinally of the machine, the end of the same being within reach of the operator, who stands at the front center opposite the sewing machine, the front being adjacent the observer in Figure 3.

To bring the chalk or marking means in marking contact with the cloththe swinging arm 85 is provided with a follower 97 which rides in a slot 98 in a cam member 99 extending transversely of the machine, the slot being inclined'to the horizontal downwardly and toward the longitudinal center line of the table. If the wire or cord 96 is pulled toward the longitudinal center of the combined table, i. e., toward the apron 21, the bell crank 92 will be swung in right handed rotation and the rod 87 is thrust toward the middle of the table, the follower 97 moving downwardly in the slot 98, which gives to the clamp 82 a sideways and downward motion, bringing,the chalk'into forcible rubbing contact withthe edge of theclo th. The

marker is returned to'normal position by is provided with a zero mark 103 spaced from the marker by any convenient unit or number of units of linear measurement. The machineis alsopreferably provided with counting means 104: of any preferred type by means of which the number of yardsof ma terial passed over the machine, or more correctly the travel of the feed belt 8 or 9, may be recorded. The same comprises in addition to the counting mechanism-suitably mounted on the machine, a lever 105 pivoted at and-actuated by blocks or other contacting members 106 secured to the edge of the belt and at suitable intervals corresponding to the linear units being measured, it; being understood that the lever may be gravity or spring controlled, normally depending into the path of the blocks or actuating members 106. Each of the blocks as it passes swings the lever in the direction of motion of the top of the, belt. with a pawl 107 which engages ratchet teeth 108 on the counter wheel 109, moving the counter wheel one step at each swing of the lever, the lever being returned to upright position by gravity or other suitable means. The counter preferably is placed as near to the marker as it can be located without interference with the operation of either mech- In the form of the invention shown, there are, as aforesaid, two feed belts 8 and 9 spaced apart at the-center to provide for the operation of the sewing machine 20, as hereinafter described. To support the material between the belts 8 and 9 suitable supporting means is provided, the same beingmovable The lever is, in turn,'provided with the machine and, in the form of the in vention shown, being in the form of a sewing machine apron 21 to be more particularly described.

In the operation of the measuring mechanism it will be assumed that the topportions of the feed belts 8 and 9 which rest on the table 10 move from right to left in Figure 1, though the machine may be operated in either direction A new roll of cloth 6 being placed in the machine with the ends of its shaft 5 in the bearings 13 in slot 4 of the upright 2, the roll of cloth resting on the extreme right end portion of the belt 8 which is supported on the rollers 11, 12, the end of the cloth web 11% is manually engaged by the operator and the clutch 39, &6, being engaged for a short period, the feed belts 8, 9, which were previously stationary move to the left a short distance unrolling a portion of cloth from the roll .6 until the extreme end of the cloth reaches the zero mark 103. At this point the machine is stopped by disengagement of the clutch.

At this point, it being assumed that the marker 80 is spaced to the right from the zero mark 103 by exactly the predetermined unit which, in connection with the machine as developed, has been chosen as two yards, the marker 80 is operated by pulling the cord or wire 96, the cloth and machine being so placed and arranged as to bring one of the actuating blocks 106 of the counter'mechanism, which may be one yard apart, into contact with the counter lever 105 just prior to the time when the end of the cloth reaches the zero mark 103. The measuring operation proceeds from this point, the operator preferably keeping a record of each marking operation, which record is checked, by the counter, indicating the number of yards passed over the machine, the counter either being turned to zero for each new piece of 1 cloth or the reading of the counter may be cumulative.

\Vhen the marker has been actuated as aforesaid, marking the cloth at a point two yards to the right of the end of the piece which has been placed at the zero mark, the

clutch is again thrown in and the end of the cloth being moved forwardly over the apron 21 is placed on the second feed belt 9 and when the mark previously made on the cloth i reaches the zero mark 103 the machine is again stopped by releasing the clutch 39, 16, and the marker is operated. When a sufficient length of cloth has been fed and marked, as aforesaid, the end of the cloth is I wound on the roll 7 and the machine may be treated as in full operation for measuring.

As the work of measuring is carried on, the

cloth is taken up by roll 7 and'let off by roll 6. The clutch is released in each instance whenever one of the marksmade by the marking mechanism 80 reaches the'zero point 103. The marker is operated at this time and the clutch again engaged for a similar period corresponding to the measuring unit, two yards having been chosen as the length to be measured in this instance. of the piece is reached, the length of the roll is duly registered on the counter 104: and another piece may be attached and the two rolls 6 fed7to the machine and combined in a single roll It will be observed that the cloth is thus measured in quantity with absolute accuracy without stretching or in any way distorting the cloth and without opportunity for error and while the operator has the opportunity to keep direct count of the measurement, his counting is also checked by mechanical counting.

In this way both the inaccuracies due to hand-measurement and the inaccuracies due to machine measurement where the cloth is placed under tension, as it is in the majority of measuring machines, are fully overcome and eliminated and an increased economy, due to almost absolute accuracy of measurement, is obtained.

The machine is also adapted for use in matching a plurality of layers of cloth, the cloth being fed from'the roll 6 to the roll 7 by means of feed belts 8, 9, running over the table 10, as already described. In this con nection it should be understood that the matching operation consists in so assembling a plurality of layers of cloth so as to bring When the end 7 the corresponding portions of the figure or pattern on the respective layers into registration and securing the respective layers of cloth together in this relative position by sewing or otherwise at suitable intervals. To this end the machine, in the form shown, is provided with cloth holding means and 116 extending transversely of the machine, preferably at right angles to the feed for the full width of the path of material or fabric, the, said securing means 115 and 116 respectively being placed immediately adjacent the end of the corresponding belt and on each side of the apron 21.

In the form of the invention shown, the cloth holding means consists in each instance of a series of needles or pins 115, 116, each series being arranged in a line emending across the path of the material, as aforesaid. the needles being upright or substantially upright with the points uppermost. .Vhile this type of cloth holding means h as been used in the machine as developed, other cloth holding means may be substituted.

The lines of cloth holding pins or needles 115, 116, are mounted each line on transverse bars 117, 118, respectively, supported on the machine or table in any suitable manner, whereby they may be conveniently moved into and out of operative position, it being Lessee? understood that the cloth holding means at this point is not essential to the measuring operation of the machin In the form of the invention shown, these bars 117, 118, see particularly Figure'5, are

mounted in suitable guides 119 to move up and down in a vertical direction, the bars being actuated by means of links .or connecting rods 120 pivotally connected at one end to the crank disks 121 and at the other end to the bars 117, 118. The crank disks, in turn, may be secured to worm gears 122, driven by worms, 123, which may be rotated in any suitable manner as by means of hand cranks 124 and 126. A half turn of the disks 121 moves the crank pins 125 from the top position, in which they are shown, and in which the pins are raised in operative position to the bottom position in which they are withdrawn, and vice versa.

The matching mechanism also includes a sewing machine 20, already referred .to, which sewing machine is mounted to move transversely of the table between the adjacent ends of [the feed belts Sand 9, the apron 21 already referred to being connected to the machine to move into and out of supporting position taking the place-of the machine table, as the latter is advanced and retracted, as hereinafter described.

The sewing machine is most conveniently actuated by 'means of an electric motor 131 mounted on the machine to move therewith, as hereinafter described, the motor being connected by a flexibl cable 132 to any suitable source of electricity, not shown. 'To move the sewing machine back and forth transversely .of the table to stitch the cloth in matched relation, as already outlined, a toothed rack 183 is provided at the side of the table and directly beneath the path of the machine, the rack extending to the left in Figure 5 a little beyond the position of the machine as illustrated. This rack, which is preferably provided with skew or inclined teeth 13.4, is engaged by a skew gear 135 mounted on the sewing machine on an axis parallel to the rack, though the exact nature of this device for feeding the sewing machine is not essential to the invention. The skew gear 135 iscarried by a shaft 136 which is driven by means of bevel gears 137 on the shaft 136, and 138 on an upright shaft 139, which carries at its upper end .a bevel gear 140 which meshes with a bevel gear 141 on the needle shaft 142 in the arm 130 of the sewing machine, which needle shaft, in the formof the invention shown, is driven by a toothed gear 144 engaged bya pinion 145 on the motor shaft. The needleshaft 142drives the sewing machine needle bar 146 in any suitable manner as by means of crank disk 147 having a crank pin 148 connected by .a link 149 .tothe needlebar 146.

T; he presser foot 150, being actuated in the at 172, the apron being usu man er by a r n 15 W ich Pr sses it downwardly on the cloth is to inoper -t r p i on y an beam 1. 9 tra e l by am lev r '53 w ch is evens p rd y t9 r e th Pr sser 99 ba tin he opp s t si 9 Q p rm t t e Pres r o t t ea e de a a ly i r asse s be t aches O t spring 5.

In order that the sewing machine 20 may be moved machine drive, into out of operiative rela lion to the table as hereinafter described, the rack 13 i m n tempt 1 l ;fl

table having vertical guides suitablysupe ported on the v I bein pr ided, s u n, we v rtical l er w i slide i t gui e a d he ra k .3 s ov d 1. 1 nd d wn nt be ou of p t re at on with the g ar .35 by th llow n m h s cr k d k 2 p o d d with no -11. see t t 6 gag d by ms on th norm shaft 165. The shaft 165 is actuated the wi of t e p rator by means ,of a band heel 166 The disks 162 r l nk 1 p vetally conn ted t th ne k a 6 ad t ecc n ri W ist .pins .68 0. th .disks i 6 I h ope a i of this me h nism the a k s mov d up the hand whee 1.66 ro a ng the c ank disks 2 back an f r h through an are of. 1180 d gr r l s depend ng up n th t row .of

the crank pins and the distance bhlq lgh w i h i i fo nd desi able o m ve the rack.

o upp rt th cloth when the machine is Wi h r w as illust ated in Figure the apr n has een provided. This apron be in the form .of a strip ofcan ils .or

equivalent material which may be stiffened by battens 170 spaced laterallycf themachine and extending in the direction .of the feed, secured to the canvas in any suitable manner. This apron, in the form ofthe invention shown, issecured atoneend .to the for ward end of ,the sewing machine table 171 passed forwardly .between the ends of the belts 8 and -9 .as illustrated in Figure 3, and led at the front .side

.ofthe machine overa-roller 1.73 mounted in suitable bearings .on .the table, ztheend .of the apron being drawn downwardly by means of a weight :174 secured thereto,.or any equivalent means whereby the apron is ':held suf ficient-ly-taut to support the material between the belts Sand 9. Theapron is thus held flat and caused toclosethe table 10 between belts '8 and 9, passing downwardl-yover pulley 173 as the sewing machine advances.

.m al- Q as pu p t et il li ami ll' an n pen e tly a t fable frame and the rack 133 nsi t ng .05 rota y 7 a tua conn ting mas and d wn by the rot tian of 125 Though the machine maybe usedin matching means, i. e., needles 116, on the side of the sewing machine remote from the cloth roll from which the cloth is being fed, are first raised as by rotating the hand crank 126 bringing them to the position shown in Figure 1, or the needles may be raised after the cloth has been placed in matching position and relation, as hereinafter described, the cloth being held for this purpose.

Assuming that the needles have been raised to operative position, as already suggested, the double width cloth, folded once upon itself, being supplied from the roll 6, is drawn forwardly over the table and the lower thickness'of the cloth being spread smoothly on the table is pressed down on needles 116, which serveto hold it in position fully extended and'fiat on the table. The'forward end of the cloth is at this time slightly forward of the needles 116 and the sewing machine 20 is withdrawn, the'apron 21 being advanced as shown most clearly in Figure 3. The lower thickness or layer of cloth is thus extended and fastened, it being understood that the cloth is folded longitudinally forming a longitudinal crease substantially in the middle of the table, the fold being partly opened so the lower thickness can be manipulated in this way. The top thickness or layer is then folded over and laid on the bottom thickness and pressed down on the needles, the longitudinal fold being, if necessary, slightly displaced to match the designs on the strips. The cloth may then be held in position and needles 115 raised. The two thicknesses of cloth are thus held in matched relation in the path ofthe sewing machine 20 by the pins or needles 115, 116. At this time the sewing machine 20 is assumed to be withdrawn to the left in Figure 5 to the extreme position, a little farther from the table than the position illustrated. At this time the rack 133 is lowered by operation of the hand crank 166 which rotates the disks 162 by way of the worms 16 1, drawing the links 167 connected to the rack downwardly, the rack being guided, as aforesaid, by followers 161 and the guides 160.

The machine being in the left hand position described, the presser foot 150 would, if the machine had just been withdrawn from operation, ordinarily be already in raised position, otherwise, it is raised by operation of the hand lever 153, the same being thrown .to elevated position. The sewing machine is then moved to the right in Figure 5, the material being held, if necessary, by hand in addition to the needles. In moving the machine the handle 180 is grasped by the hand of the operator and it is drawn forward or to the right in Figure 5, until the presser foot 150 comes over the edge of the material, which is held in proper position under the presser foot by the operator who would then release the presser foot by lowering the hand lever 153 rotating the cam 152 to the position shown, in which position the presser foot is moved downwardly by the spring 151 in accordance with the regular operation of this device.

The rack 133 is then raised into mesh with the skew gear 135, the hand crank 166 being turned ordinarily in the opposite direction about half a revolution for this purpose. The motor 131 is then placed in circuit by closing the switch 182, the same being controlled by a sliding rod 183 having a handle 18d at the front of the machine. The motor 131 not only operates the sewing machine, but feeds it forwardly at a speed proportionate to the speed of the needle, the feed of the machine being through the connections 1 10, 139, 138, 137, as already described, to the shaft 136 of the skew gear 135 which engages the rack 133.

The machine moves in this way directly across the web of cloth, sewing the plurality of thicknesses held by the pins 115, 116 together, a line of stitchesbeing formed between the pins. As the sewing machine moves forwardly the apron 21 moves in the same direction, being held fiat and drawn downwardly at the front of the machine by the weight 17 l which passes over the roller 173. When the machine reaches its forward position, the switch 182 is operated automatically by a dog 190 depending from the frame of the sewing machine. In this connection it may be noted that the machine is, in the form of the invention shown carried on rollers 185, 186, moving on ways 187 By the means described the machnie and the feed are stopped automatically when a line of stitching has been placed transversely of the material between the needles. The presser foot is then raised by engagement of the hand with the lever 153, the rack 133 is lowered, as aforesaid, and the machine is returned to initial position manually by engagement of the handle 180. The cloth is then moved forwardly for a suitable interval and matched as already described, the various layers being secured in matched relation by the pins or needles 115, 116, and the sewing operation is again performed. When the forward end of the material can be wrapped around shaft 5, the material may be fed by taking up on roll 7 and letting ofi from roll 6.

I have thus described specifically and in detail a machine embodying the cloth meas uring, marking and matching means of the invention in order that the construction and manner of operating the same may be clear- 1y understood, however, the specific terms herein being used descriptively rather than in a limiting sense, the scope of the invention being defined in the claims.

WVhat I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is: 1

1. In a cloth measuring machine, an endless conveyor, means for feeding cloth to the conveyor, means adapted for control by the operator for marking the cloth at intervals spaced in the direction of the length of the cloth, indicating means spaced from the marking means in the direction of motion of the conveyor by a predetermined unit, a counter and spaced members carried on the conveyor for actuating the counter to indicate the length of the cloth passed through the machine.

2. In a cloth measuring machine, an endless conveyor, means at one end of the conveyor for supporting a roll of cloth, means adjacent the supporting means for marking the cloth at the Will of the operator, means for indicating the distance moved by the conveyor and hence the length of cloth measured, means spaced from the marker by a predetermined unit permitting the operator to mark the cloth, the marks being spaced at predetermined intervals independently of the indicating means, and means for taking up the cloth as it is measured.

3. In a cloth measuring machine, an endless conveyor, means at one end of the con veyor for supporting a roll of cloth, means adjacent the roll for marking the cloth at the will or" the operator, means for indicating the distance moved by the conveyor and hence the length of cloth measured, means spaced from the marker by a predetermined unit permitting the operator to mark the cloth, the marks being spaced at predetermined intervals independently of the indicating means, and means for taking up the cloth as it is measured, said take-up and supporting means comprising a roll shaft at each end of the machine, vertically sliding bearings for the roll shaft, pulleys supporting the rolls and means for driving the puleys.

4. In a cloth measuring machine, an endless conveyor, let-oif means at one end of the conveyor for supporting a roll of cloth, means adjacent the roll for marking the cloth at the will of the operator, means for indicating the distance moved by the conveyor and hence the length of cloth measured, means spaced from the marker by a predetermined unit permitting the operator to mark the cloth, the marks being spaced at predetermined intervals independently of the inclicating means, and means for taking up the cloth as it is measured, said take-up and letoil means comprising a roll shaft at each end of the machine, vertically sliding bearings for the roll shaft, pulleys supporting the rolls and means for driving the pulleys, said pulleys Which support the rolls engaging the conveyor from beneath the latter at points beneath the rolls.

Signed by me at Baltimore, Maryland, this 30th day of November, 1927.

MARTIN E. POPKIN. 

